lördag 16 februari 2013

Triumph Over Your Past — and Boldly Face Your Future

Dear Believer, we have
entered a new season. It is the season of a fresh start! We are in a
divinely appointed time of refreshing and restoring (Joel 2:25):

"So I will restore to
you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The
consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among
you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the
LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be
put to shame."

This is a new day in which
you may boldly declare, "Old things have passed away!" (Isaiah
48:6-7)

God Offers Forgiveness

One of the sweetest words in
any language is the word forgiven! God promises that even if your sins
are red like crimson bright, obvious, glaring, unmistakable they have been forgiven,
washed white as snow because of the crimson Blood of Christ! (Isaiah 1:18)

Not just a few sins or a
handful of mistakes, but each and every betrayal, sin and offense is under the
Blood of Christ. Each and every mistake is forgotten and erased.
Truly, beloved, it makes no difference how twisted and tangled your life
has been or now is: through the shed Blood of Christ at Calvary, God has
made all forgiveness and grace abound toward you!

"Because He poured out
His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore
the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah
53:12)

God Forgets Your Past

Through our repentance, God
always makes a way to free us from our past. Brothers and sisters in
Christ, take this encouragement to heart: do not let your past failures
keep you from experiencing your future victories! Remember this vital
promise:

"There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2).

The Lord has already
lavished you with abundant, extravagant forgiveness and grace to empower you to
leave behind every single past sin and failure the days of regret, doubt and
fear, the many missed opportunities and failed relationships, the seasons of
backsliding and passivity, the detours of the works of the flesh.

As we believe His Word of
forgiveness and set our heart to seek the Lord, we will find overwhelming grace
and mercies for each day (Jer. 29:12-13). Never give up; never give in again to
a mindset of guilt and failure (Hebrews 10:35). You were created by your Maker
to carry His glory and Presence into a lost and dying world. God has confidence
in you (Deut.28:13). Remember, you are His choice (Ephesians 2:10),
chosen for "such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).

God Redeems Your Wounds

Truly, it was by the stripes
of Jesus Christ that we were healed (Isaiah 53:5). Take comfort in this,
dear Believer: even the wounds that you have suffered will become great avenues
of healing. When we are healed from our wounds, then we receive grace for
healing others!

We bring Christ's healing
and comfort to others in the areas in which we ourselves have been afflicted (1
Thess.5:11).

God Brings Breakthrough!

God is even now releasing divine
favor to us for accomplishing great exploits for His glory. In Psalms 84:11
(NLV), we learn how He lavishes His blessings of grace and glory:

"For the LORD God is
our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no
good thing from those who do what is right."

Even if you have not
succeeded in previous days and years, do not lose heart! God is saying, “Try
again!” It is time to regroup and try again, knowing that failure is
never God’s plan (Jer.29:11). You will see doors open that were closed to you
previously. God is granting breakthrough.

I pray that your entire
family will experience the overwhelming love and favor of God as you leave the
past behind and boldly take hold of the blessings and promises of God!